Method and system for sharing end user information on network

Abstract

A plurality of end users remotely access a network that includes a hub site and a number of provider sites. Information relating to the end user is associated with a non-externally identifying symbol. Public end-user information is shared with providers without permission from the end user. Private end-user information is shared with providers only upon receiving permission from the end user.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a system having a plurality of end-users that remotely access a network having at least a hub site and a plurality of provider sites, a method for storing and selectively sharing end-user information, comprising:
 a) storing, in a profile database associated with the hub site, a user-record corresponding to each end-user, each user-record comprising public information that the end-user submits to the hub site and that the end-user expects will be shared with one or more of the providers without permission of the end-user, private information that the end-user submits to the hub site and that the end-user expects will not be shared with any of the providers without permission of the end-user, and a non-externally identifying symbol associated with the user-record that identifies the end-user on the network; 
 b) in response to a first request signal containing the non-externally identifying symbol corresponding to the end-user, transmitting the public information associated with the end-user from the hub site to a provider without permission of the end-user; 
 c) in response to a second request signal containing the non-externally identifying symbol corresponding to the end-user, transmitting a permission request from the hub site to the end-user and transmitting the private information associated with the end-user from the hub site to the provider only if permission of the end-user is received in response to the permission request; and 
 d) wherein each user-record further comprises financial information associated with the end-user in response to a third request signal containing the non-externally identifying symbol corresponding to the end-user, transmitting a second permission request from the hub site to the end user and transmitting the financial information associated with the end-user from the hub site to the provider only upon receipt of authentication information from the provider and if permission of the end-user is received in response to the second permission request.